Remote control switch with lockout means



Jan. 13, 1970 c. c, SHATTUCK 3, ,8

REMOTE CONTROI; SWITCH WITH LOCKOUT MEANS Filed Sept. 15. 1968 Z- Sheets-Sheet 1 4 HGA FEGLE INVENTOR, 6 110mm C 5H4 TTUCK A TTORNE Y c. c. SHATTUCK REMOTE CONTROL SWITCH WITH LOCKOUT MEANS Filed Sept. 15. 1968 Jan. 13, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet z PEG. '7

K. P 3 U 4 N H W M M NC n 5 M 4 w United States Patent 3,489,868 REMOTE CONTROL SWITCH WITH LOCKOUT MEANS Charles C. Shattuck, Hanover, Mass, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 13, 1968, Ser. No. 759,648 Int. Cl. H01h 9/28 US. Cl. 200--44 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A manual remote control master switch for controlling a plurality of switching operations is provided With a lockout mechanism to permit the manual operation of the switch to be suspended after a selected array of switches of the master have been set. The suspension of manual operation is accomplished by a key operated switch controlling a common line to the individual manual switches.

The present invention relates to a master manually operable switch for use with remote control switching apparatus. More particularly the invention relates to manual master which can be set for certain switching condition and maintained in the set condition.

In the operation of remote control switching systems particularly in public buildings, it is frequently desirable to set the lighting or other controlled electrical apparatus with a pattern of certain switches in the on condition and with others in the off condition, where all of the switches are controlled from a single master. The master is preferably located in a convenient hallway or corrid r which is open to the public and in such use it is frequently found that the switching arrangement will be modified or altered by persons who are not authorized to do so and that a problem of maintaining a selected lighting array within the area exists because of the easy access to the remote control master. It is not conveniently feasible to install the master in a closet or some other inaccessible location, not only because such an accessible location is not always at the desired point of control but also because many of the advantages of having the remote control master accessible for operation are lost.

The above problem is particularly acute in school buildings where the interference with the preferred lighting arrangement to be provided for use of the school facilities occurs through unauthorized student operation of these remote control masters.

It is accordingly one object of the present invention to provide a remote control manual switching system which permits a manual master to be maintained in a public corridor or in a location accessible to the public without interference in operation of the switching system by unauthorized persons.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a manual master remote control switch the condition of the individual switches of which can be locked into a fixed array.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a manual master remote control switch which can be rendered either manually operable or manually inoperable.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism by which a manual master remote control switch can be rendered inoperable without simultaneously rendering inoperable other similar master switches or other individual switches in a remote control switching system.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out in the description which follows.

In one of its broader aspects the objects of the present invention may be achieved by providing a master manual remote control switch having a common return for the low voltage lines supplying power to the solenoids of relays at locations remote from the manual switches, providing a switch in said master accessible by key to interrupt power flowing in the common return line of said master and render the momentary contact switch inelfective to operate the solenoids of said relays.

Remote control switching systems have been described in previous patents. US. Patents 2,991,337 and 3,040,151 describe remote control switching systems and particularly the remote control master switch thereof. It is known that because a remote control relay is in either a stable on condition or in a stable off condition the switching of the relay from one stable condition to another must be brought about by imposing an impulse on the solenoid of the relay switch to change the condition of the switch to the opposite condition. For this reason the signal received from any of a number of remote control stations can control a single relay switch and switch it to its opposite condition. In other words, the low voltage impulse to the solenoid of a relay can be generated from any one of a number of momentary contact switches and the relay can accordingly be controlled from any one of such momentary contact low voltage switching stations. Accordingly, a manual master may be provided in accordance with the present invention which can be locked out of operation in the sense that manual operation of the momentary contact switches will not cause a change in the condition of the remotely controlled relay but the suspension of manual operation of the master in accordance with the present invention will not limit or prevent the relays to be operated from some of the other remote controlled stations. Alternatively, the switching of a relay may be locked out or suspended at a number of manual master remote control relay stations.

In the description which follows the understanding of the invention will be aided by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a master remote control switch such as is provided in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the master manual switch of FIGURE 1 taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1 and showing parts in section and in phantom.

FIGURE 3 is a front plan view of a detail of the lockout switch.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view similar to that of FIGURE 4 showing the switch mechanism in a different orientation.

FIGURE 6 is a detail perspective view of elements of the switch shown in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 showing the parts exploded for clarity of understanding.

FIGURE 7 is a Wiring diagram showing the interrelation of the switching mechanism of the master switch with that of the relay.

Referring now first to FIGURE 7, a master switch 10 is shown with a number of individual momentary contact switch elements labelled 1 through 8 in the figure. Also shown is a transformer circuit 12 to supply low voltage to the master momentary contact switch 10 and to a relay circuit 14. The relay circuit 14 has high voltage lines 16, a switching action forwhich occurs within the high voltage switch end 18 of the relay. The actuation of the high voltage switch is accomplished through the motion of a plunger not shown within the solenoid portion 20 of the relay responsive to the receipt of a low voltage signal through a pair of the low voltage wires shown attached at the low voltage terminals 22 of the relay. The relay is described in further detail in the copending application of Richard H. Griflin, Ser. No. 736,815, filed June 13, 1968, and assigned to the same assignee as this application.

The low voltage power for operation of the solenoids 14 is supplied through the lines 24 and 26 emanating from the lowe voltage terminals of the transformer 28. Line voltage power to the transformer 28 is supplied through the lines 30.

It will be noted that the low voltage line 26 is joined to the line 32 which terminates in one electrode 34 of a switch 36 in the master remote control switch 10. The second terminal 38 is connected to a common return 40 which connects through the branch wires of the individual monetary contact switches labelled 1 through 8 in the manual master switch 10.

Diodes 42 in low voltage supply line 24 and 44 permits only a unidirectional flow of electric power through the line 44 to the appropriate terminal 22 on the low voltage end of relay 14.

In the normal operation of momentary contact switches such as 46 or 48 shown at the right hand of FIGURE 7, the current supplied through low voltage line 44 is fed as a common feed to either the on solenoid within the low voltage end 20 of the relay or to the off solenoid within the low voltage end 20. The low voltage line 50 from the relay extends to the low voltage on contact 52 in the momentary contact switch and further extends to the on contact 54 in a low voltage momentary contact switch 48. The connection of the low voltage on contact 54 to the low voltage center contact 56 of the switch 48 is accomplished by a conductive spring contact arm not shown and causes the activation of one of the two coils within the low voltage solenoid portion 20 of the relays 14. This type of switch is described in US. Patent 3,178,- 522 assigned to the same assignee as this application. In effect the voltage supplied through diode 42 and line 44 to relay 14 is connected through line 50 and contact 54 to contact 56 and is returned to the transformer 28 through the line 58 and 26 to the transformer 28.

Turning now to FIGURE 1 the front elevation of a switch corresponding to master switch of FIGURE 7 is shown as it appears to the user. The momentary contact switches are numbered in the reverse fashion left to right, to the manner of numbering in FIGURE 7. Each individual switch is independently capable of completing an ON signal to an associated relay, or of completing an OFF signal to the same relay by inducing movement of the magnetic plunger within the relay and to cause in turn movement of the associated high power switch elements. In the upper right hand corner of the face plate 60 of switch 10 a slot 62 is evident and is of a height and width adapted to receive a key element.

Referring now to FIGURE 2 the face plate 60 of the switch is seen in side elevational view to be a snap on type cover element. The face cover 60 is held in place by the lower foot 64 which is seen at the broken away view at the bottom of the figure and by the upper foot 65 which is seen in phantom at the top of the figure. The foot 64 of face plate 60 snaps into the aperture 66 and is held therein by the lip 68 formed integrally with the foot 64.

A wall mounted frame 70 supports the face plate 60 within a trough 71 extending around the perimeter of the frame 70. The frame 70 is mounted in accordance with the teachings of copending application of Henry Passarelli, Jr., Ser. No. 758,037, filed Sept 6', 1968, and assigned to the same assignee as the instant application.

At the upper portion of FIGURE 2 and shown in part in phantom is a key element 100 inserted through slot 62 and engaging, at forked end 101 thereof in the switch interior, a wedge shaped face 75 of a pivotable element 72. Referring now to FIGURE 4 the switch frame 70 is shown without the cover in place and is shown in section to display elements of the switch mechanism. The wedge 75 of rocket elem nt 72, which receives the forked end 101 4 of the key, is seen to engage a sliding contact 74 at a center opening 76 therethrough. The boss 78 formed integrally with rocker element 72 extends through the opening 76 so that rotation of rocker element 72 about an axis normal to the illustration of FIGURE 4, causes the boss 76 to act against the lip 80 or 82. The rotation of the key driven rocker element 72 is accomplished due to support of cylindrical trunnions 73 within the semi-circular portion of a strap 84. The rocker element 72 including trunnions 73 and boss 78 is composed of an insulating material so that there is no grounding of thecontact element 74 to the easing 70 through the strap 84. A stop 71 limits rotation of the rocker element by contact with internal surfaces of the switch structure.

Referring now to FIGURE 5, the similar parts are similarly numbered in FIGURE 5 as compared to the same parts shown in FIGURE 4. The difference is that the rocker element 72 has been rotated about its center of support within the strap 84 and has caused the sliding contact element 74 to move downward with respect to the position of the same element 74 shown in FIGURE 4. The effect of this movement is made clear by reference to FIGURE 3 wherein it will be seen thattwo electrical contacts 86 and 88 are positioned to receive the lower end 90 of the sliding contact 74. Accordingly a bridging electrical connection between contact 86 and 88 is made when the sliding contact 74 is in its lower position as shown in FIGURE 5. Correspondingly when the sliding contact 74 is in its upper position as seen in FIGURE 4 the connection between the two terminals 86 and 88 is opened. The contacts 86 and 88 are themselves mounted on an insulating board 92 seen in section in FIGURES 4 and 5 and seen in plan view partially in phantom in FIGURE 3. Wire 94 is connected to the contact 86 and forms part of the low voltage circuit seen in FIGURE 7. For convenience of reference, it may be indicated that the contact 34 of FIGURE 7 corresponds to contact 88 of FIGURE 3 and contact 38 of FIGURE 7 corresponds to contact 86 of FIGURE 3. The wire 94 of FIGURE 3 accordingly corresponds to wire 40 of FIGURE 7. It will be evident that when the operation of the key 100 of FIGURE 2 causes an opening of the electrical connection shown in FIGURE 3 between contacts 86 and 88, the effect will be the same as opening switch 36 of FIGURE 7. For clarity of reference it will also be evident that opening switch 36 of FIGURE 7 has the same effect as opening or interrupting line 58 of FIG- URE 7 between the center contact 56 of momentary contact switch 48 and the line 26 returning power to transformer 28. In other words, such disconnection at switch 36 effectively prevents further switching actions at the relay 14 from any of the switches in the master control switch. In normal use, of course, the line 58 from contact 56 of the separate and independent switch of FIGURE 7 remains intact and it will also be apparent that since the opening of switch 36 does not prevent return of power through line 58 and 26 to the transformer, although switch 1 of master relay 10 of FIGURE 7 will not be effective in controlling relay 18, nevertheless switch 48 does remain effective in controlling relay 14 because power can be returned through the line 58 and 26 to transformer 28.

Turning now to FIGURE 6 an exploded perspective view of further structural details of the switch mechanism described with reference to FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 is shown. The rocker element 72 is seen to have a wedge shaped front portion 75 adapted to receive the prongs 101 of the key 100 and to have trunnions 104 symmetrically on each side of the wedge 75. The boss 78 protruding from the reverse side of the wedge portion 75 of rocker 72 is aligned to engage an opening 76 in the sliding contact member 74. The two legs of this contact are seen to be aligned with the two stationary contacts 86 and 88 mounted on the insulating board 82. The wires 94 and are attached to the contacts 86 and 88, respectively, and comprise part of the circuit controlled by the switch member.

The mounting studs 106 and 108 seen in FIGURES 4 and 5 engage the corresponding holes 107 and 109 of the insulating strip 82.

From the foregoing description it Will be evident that in accordance with this invention effective means are provided for controlling the operability of a master manual remote control switch so that the switch can be placed in public buildings at locations most appropriate for its use but without danger that unauthorized switching actions will be carried out.

What is claimed is:

1. A master manual remote control switch comprising a plurality of manual remote control momentary contact switches,

each of said switches having a momentary contact ON electrode, a momentary contact OFF electrode, a common electrode, and a contact arm to electrically connect said common electrode to either said ON or said OFF electrode,

wire terminals on the ON electrode and OFF electrode of each switch for individual connection respectively to the ON and OFF solenoids of separate remote control relays a key operated switch in said manual master electrical connections from the common electrode of each of the individual manual momentary contact switches to one electrode of said key operated switch and wire terminals on the other electrode of said key operated switch for connection to a source of low voltage power supply to supply power to said ON electrode and OFF electrode through said key operated switch, said common connection, and the con tact arm of said switch.

2. The switch of claim 1 wherein the key operated switch has a slide action bridging contact movable by key action to bridge the two electrodes of said key operated switch,

3. The switch of claim 1 in which a cover plate is provided over the switch mechanism and access to the mechanism by the key is provided by an aperture in the cover plate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,451,150 10/1948 Brian 307l X 2,579,168 12/1951 Ballou 20044 X 2,742,593 4/1956 Voss 307-114 X ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner H. J. HOHAUSER, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 307-114, 

